His Lost Child
by Morgan Sulfur
Summary: Valkyrie is sent back in time to save a certain skeleton's daughter. Please R&R! :)
1. The Wake Up

Valkyrie Cain woke up to the sound of a quiet vibrating sound. She checked her phone to see that Skulduggery Pleasant was calling her.

"This better be really important." Valkyrie sighed.

"Of course it's important, I'm calling." Skulduggery said from the other line.

Valkyrie frowned. "So what your saying is that, if Ghastly or Tanith were to call, it wouldn't be as important as you calling?"

"Of course, I'm very important you know."

Valkyrie closed her eyes. "Oh my God. You ego is planet sized even at this ungodly hour. Which reminds me, why are you calling?"

"We have a case!" Skulduggery announced.

Valkyrie waited for him to continue, he didn't. "And..." She prompted.

"It's a really important one, so get dressed and get ready to go I will be there in fifteen minutes."

Valkyrie sighed. "Fine, but at least tell me what the case is about."

"The Hourglass." He replied.

She sighed in frustration. "I'm going to need a little more than that."

"The hourglass is a type of magic passed on from mother to daughter when the daughter turns 18. There was only ever one family line that held that type of magic. We need a person that possesses Hourglass now." He explained.

Throwing the covers off her, Valkyrie stood up. "So we're just tracking her down? Well that will be easy."

"You'd think so wouldn't you, but like everything else, it's not that simple."

"Why?"

"She's dead."

"Dead?"

"Yes."

"How dead?"

"Very dead."

"How do you know she's dead?"

"Because she was my wife." Skulduggery replied.


	2. No Way To Stop It

**Hello, this isn't my first written story, but it's the first one I'm allowing anyone to read. I would really like to know what you think of it so please review! Thanks for reading. **

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Valkyrie sat on the steps of her Uncle Gordon's house. It would always be Gordon's home to her, even though she had inherited it several months before.

Skulduggery pulled up outside and Valkyrie jumped in the passenger side.

"Ow!" she cried a moment later. She pulled her quiver from her back and placed it on the floor. Skulduggery was quietly chuckling in his seat.

"Every time you get in this car you forget that you have you bow and arrow on your back! I must admit, I find it rather amusing."

"Ha ha." She replied sarcastically.

The Bentley quietly made its way through Dublin and soon they were in Roarhaven.

Valkyrie and Skulduggery walked into the main conference area to find Ghastly leaning against the wall with his girlfriend, Tanith, at his side. Erskine Ravel was sitting down and next to him was Madame Mist.

Ghastly was the first to speak. "We're glad you're here, the vortex is opening again and the Hourglass is needed."

Skulduggery shook his head. "The last Hourglass is dead and so is her daughter, as you well know."

"Then we have a problem that needs to be solved." Madame Mist said without moving.

"Okay!" Valkyrie said. "Someone needs to tell me what's going on right now, or I'm going to start hitting people!"

Madame Mist turned to look at Valkyrie. "We do not have time for you lack of knowledge."

Skulduggery ignored her and turned his head to Valkyrie. "Centuries ago there were these creatures called the Leer, they were ruthless and murderous. Vampire found out that they could create children with the Leer. Called the Leera. Imaginative name, I know .The children, half vampire half Leer, left pain and bloodshed wherever ever they went. So many people were killed and tormented by the creatures that a very powerful sorcerer opened a portal to another dimension to banish the Leer and the Leera. But the sorcerer knew that the barriers between this dimension and theirs wouldn't hold them forever. So she cast a spell so that the females in her bloodline can close the portal when it opens."

"How would she stop the portal opening?" Ghastly asked.

"I always assumed Helen would sing a happy song at it and it would go away, she hit me and told me to go away."

"Helen?" asked Valkyrie

Skulduggery nodded slightly. "Helen Temps. My wife."

Tanith asked hesitantly. "What does Temps mean?"

"It means time in French, right?" Valkyrie asked. Proving that several years of French lessons had paid off.

"Yes. Anyway, she never had to close the portal because it never opened in her life time. But she said that a few drops of her blood sent from this side of the portal on to the other side would close it."

"How would she go about doing that?" asked Erskine asked.

Skulduggery shrugged. "She would probably just cut her hand and stick it through the portal then pull it out before the portal closed."

"Is there a time limit? If the portal stays open for a certain amount of time, I can't be closed?" asked Mist.

"Yes." He replied.

"And the portal is opening now? And the Leera will be coming through? " Tanith asked.

Erskine nodded gravely. "Yes and we have no one to stop it."

"So…how **do** we stop the portal from opening then?" Valkyrie asked.

And for once Skulduggery didn't have an answer for her, but somebody else did. It wasn't who they expected.


	3. Your Father Is A- Come Again?

**Hey I** **know it's got a lot of talking, it's gets more action soon, promise. Please R&R!**

** . :-)**

* * *

They hear a small cough and turned round to see Tipstaff, the sanctuaries administrator, standing by the door.

"I wasn't listing in, I was just…" He said coming further into the room.

"Hearing what was being said." Valkyrie supplied.

Tipstaff looked embarrassed. "Well…"

"Do you have something useful to add or are you just here to tell me that another 120 things have been added to my list of things that need to be done today?" Erskine Ravel said sarcastically.

Tipstaff looked at Skulduggery. "Detective Pleasant, you said your wife's name was Helen, did she work with someone called Saltar Tiempo, it means 'jump time' in Spanish."

"I can see a pattern starting" Valkyrie said dryly. Walking over to the chair she pulled it away from the table and sat down. A moment later she felt Sulkduggery stand behind her.

Skulduggery put his hand on her sholder. "If you think that the connection to his name and my wife's isn't obvious, then I have failed in my duty to educate you in the art of deduction."

Valkyrie smiled up at him.

"Anyway…" Tanith interjected.

"What's this about my wife and Saltar Tiempo?"

"He is my father." Tipstaff answered. "He worked with your wife, he would never tell me on what though. But I once broke into his office when I was a kid and looked at some of his papers. I didn't understand most of the words but I caught the gist."

"And that being?" Asked Madame Mist.

Both valkyrie and Tanith jumped at the sound of her voice. They caught each other's eye and grinned.

"Time travel" Tipstaff explained.

Skullduggery tilted his head. "You mean to tell me that my wife was working on time travel and didn't tell me!"

Tipstaff was starting to look really nervous. "I...I…- he looked to Valkyrie for help.

"Can you tell us where your father is?" She asked

Tipstaff nodded.

Valkyrie looked at Skulduggery. "What do you think? Should we go and talk to him?"

"And do what?" he replied.

"Well we could go back in time and… oh my god that sounded crazy, even to me!"

She could hear the smile in his voice. "You always sound crazy."

"Do not!"

"Do to!"

"Do not!"

"Do-"

"You two bicker like three year olds. Can we please get back to the original topic?" Ghastly sighed.

"Right, of course your Holy Eminence." Valkyrie mocked, then becoming serious again said. "We could go back in time and save your family, bring them back here!"

"And who would Serpine kill?" Mist interjected.

"Their reflections?" Tanith suggested.

"Sorcerers can tell immediately if someone is a reflection." Ravel said.

There was silence as everyone thought about what to do. Everyone wanted skullduggery to have another chance at having a family.

"Well…" Ravel said hesitation clear in his voice.

Everybody's head turned to look at him.

"Well, with a baby it's harder to tell if it's a reflection." He finished.

Skullduggery nodded slightly. "My daughter, Katharine was 3 months old."

"So you and Val go and save Katharine, bring her into the year 18 prior to this one. And then use her blood to close the portal, yes?" Tanith asked.

"Yes."

* * *

**I bet your wondering what's going to happen, stay tuned!**


	4. The Navigator

**This was meant to be part of a really long chapter, this was meant to be really small but i had so much fun writing it that i didn't have the heart to cut it down. So it's become its own chapter! Enjoy!**

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The 50 minute drive over to Saltar's lab was made in almost complete silence. Valkyrie sat in her usual seat while Tanith and Ghastly were in the back, Tanith had offered to drive herself and Ghastly on the bike but he had looked a little green at the suggestion.

"You're quiet." Skulduggery observed.

Valkrie nodded. "I'm thinking."

"Never a good thing!" Valkyrie wacked him arm, and he chuckled. "What were you thinking about?

"You, well you with a face. What you might look like."

"Easy, I was a handsome devil."

Ghastly scoffed.

Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "Not that you're biased or anything."

"Of course not, my wife will also tell you I'm handsome."

"I'm pretty sure she's also biased."

"You have a point."

"Turn left here." Valkyrie instructed, looking at the map.

"I could have sworn it was the next turning." Skulduggery said but did as Valkyrie instructed.

"What did we agree before we left?"

Skulduggery was pretty sure it was a rhetorical question but answered her anyway.

"I'm the driver, you're the navigator."

Valkyrie nodded. "That's right, you drive and I navigate."

Skullduggery shook his head. "This coming from a girl who got lost in a map factory!"

Tanith and Ghastly started laughing hysterically in the back seat while Valkyrie glared at Skulduggery, who was also chuckling.

"Not funny!"


	5. Impossible? 2 Letters 2 Long

The building was tall and the last place you'd look for someone who was one of the greatest minds the world had ever seen. Some of the bricks were crumbling and dead plants were scattered around the base of the building. It was the type of building that kids dared each other to run up and touch.

Skulduggery, who had activated his false face, and the others followed him inside, ready for any surprise attacks. The inside of the lab was almost the exact opposite of the outside; it was clean, white and shiny.

There was a large door down the corridor with a sign saying '_MAIN LABATORY'_

The group travelled towards it, quietly checking the other rooms as they went along.

Skullduggery opened the door and stuck his head in.

"Hello!" he called. No one answered.

He turned to Valkyrie. "Is that ring telling you anything?"

She shook her head.

"If you're trying to play hide and seek, can you make it easier on us and just tell us where you are please?"

A man with brown hair streaked with grey stepped out in front of them. As soon as they spotted him Skulduggery had his gun out, Tanith her sword, Valkyrie had an arrow pointed at his head and Ghastly had fire in his hands.

They were all watching his index finger. Looking for any sign that he was going to pull the trigger of the gun he was pointing at them.

* * *

He stared at them. "Who are you? Why are you in my home?"

Skullduggery nodded. "And what a lovely home it is too. I know some people bring work back home with them, but you take it to a whole new level. You've brought home to wor-"

He was interrupted by Valkyrie. "Shut up!"

Skullduggery thumbed back the safety of his gun when the man turned his attention to her.

He frowned at her like he was trying to remember her from somewhere. He looked at her bow (still pointed at his head) and her dark hair.

"Are you Valkyrie Cain?" He asked.

She nodded. "Are you Saltar?"

"Yeah, come on in."

He put his gun down and walked over to the coffee machine.

Skullduggery put his gun away and the others followed suit. He tilted his head. "This isn't how it usually works!"

Saltar looked confused. "What?"

"Well usually I threaten you with a nasty, gruesome death to which you reply that death doesn't scare you, then we exchange witty comments. And I end up arresting you."

Saltar raised an eyebrow. "You'd rather go through all that instead of me just offering you a coffee."

"You can't beat the classics. Plus I can't drink coffee, it goes right trough me."

"Diarrhoea?"

"Skeleton." He said deactivating his false face

"Oh. That's new."

"You mean you've never heard of me? But... i'm THE skeleton detective, how could you have not heard of me?"

"There There Skulduggery." Tanith said on her way over to the coffee machine.

Saltar'seyes widened. "Skulduggery? As in Helen's husband?"

"Yes." Skulduggery said.

He nodded sadly. He looked at Valkyrie. "So my dear, what time do you want to travell to?"

Vaslkyrie frowned. "Thats it, no questions asked?"

"Thats it, Helen told me that a girl with dark hair and a bow would be coming. She had said soon, I was exspecting a month a year at the tops, but oh no I've had to wait 150 years!"

"Right...Thats where I want to go, 150 years ago!"

He nodded. "I can to that for you!"

"Them." Ghastly said. "Skulduggery is going with her."

Saltar frowned at this. "Helen only said about Valkyrie, but it's ok has long as both of you have shunted before."

"Why is that important?" Tanith asked.

"It would be to damaging to the body to just hop in time, the body needs to be prepared."

Valkyrie nodded. "Well I Shunted and Skulduggery was holding on."

Saltar shook his head. "Skulduggery hasn't shunted then...it's hard to exsplain. um...it's like with a helium baloon, it's the helium thats rising, the plastic is just being dragged along with it. Valkyrie being the helium and Skulduggery being the plastic."

"So this means that..." Tanith said.

Valkyrie nodded. "If I'm going into the past, I'm going alone."


	6. Let Me!

**Hey, some of you have asked what age Valkyrie is in this...she turned 18 a few weeks before this is set. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! :-) M.S**

* * *

Valkyrie sat on an old chair watching as Skulduggery paced, he had been doing that since Saltar had told him that he couldn't go with her. Ghastly was examining the large machine in the center of the room. It was made of metal and had a space in the middle big enough for someone to stand in. Valkyrie assumed this was the time machine, but she could be wrong, considering she had never seen a time machine before.

"Penny for your thoughts." Valkyrie asked Skulduggery after she couldn't stand the silence any more.

Skulduggery sighed. "My thoughts are worth way more than a penny Valkyrie."

Valkyrie rolled her eyes, but didn't respond.

He sighed again. "I'm trying to think of something else ting we could do."

Valkyrie frowned at him; she had thought this was a good plan. Majorly floored yes, but what plan of theirs wasn't?

"What's wrong with this plan?" She asked him.

"Oh dear!" Tanith and Ghastly muttered at the same time.

"What's wrong with the plan? What's _wrong_? What's _right _with this plan Valkyrie? No way can I send you back in time during a war on your own. You could be killed or you could be _tortured_, any number of things could happen to you. _IT'S NOT WORTH THE RISK!"_

Saltar, Tanith and Ghastly looked at Skulduggery in shock.

Valkyrie stood up, shaking with anger. "We are talking about your daughter, Skulduggery. I am willing to do this for you, to give you the chance to be a father to your daughter. So that you can sing her to sleep at night, make her cereal in the morning, you can even threaten her boyfriends. I want you to have the chance to experience that. Please, please let me." She begged.

Skulduggery tilted his head. "You would do that for me?"

She nodded.

"If she is going back in time she needs to go soon, I believe you have a portal that opens soon. But Valkyrie will have all the time in the world, of course." Saltar told them.

"Valkyrie we will have to altar you appearance just slightly, just a precaution in case one of us rembers what you looked like." Ghastly suggested.

"There was a super market not far from here; I'll buy some red hair die, not all over just some high lights. We can see if there is a hairdresser that can curl your hair too. Maybe some make up as well." Tanith said.

Valkyrie wasn't looking at her. She had her eyes on skullduggery, he hadn't moved since Saltar first spoke.

"Skulduggery?" She whispered.

He took a step forward and placed his bony arms around her shoulders, she smiled and hugged him back.

"You'll take your bow with you?" he said still holding her. She nodded into his shoulder.

"Well ok then." He said reluctantly. He then released her from the hug.

"Why don't you give Tanith the keys to the Bentley so that she can take Valkyrie to the supermarket. And I need to talk to you skullduggery. "He looked at Saltar. "Privately."

"Not a scratch Tanith, I mean it." He said sternly and tossed Tanith the keys. She caught them in mid air and grinned. "Come on Val, we have work to do!"

* * *

"It's not like you to be secretive Ghastly." Skulduggery observed after he had been taken aside. Only after they were out of Saltar's ear shot did he speak.

Ghastly frowned. "I can be secretive when I want to be."

"As I tell Valkyrie on a daily bases, you can't keep secrets from me."

"Whatever, now do you want to hear about a way we could keep an eye on Valkyrie?"

Skulduggery folded his arms. "Go on."

"The sanctuary has these small devises, like video recorders but thin as a stand of hair and indestructible. We could send it into the past with her and watch what happens."

Skulduggery nodded. "Not bad, why does the sanctuary have such a devise?"

"Well…don't tell anyone I told you this because Madame Mist will have my head, but we use them to keep an eye on prisoners that have just been released."

"Clever!"

"So…" Ghastly said. "Did you know about them?"

Skulduggery tilted his head. "No."

"So would you say this was a secret that I kept from you them?" Ghastly said grinning.

* * *

An hour later Valkyrie walked back in the lab. She looked beautiful. Her hair had vibrant, natural looking red highlights and was softly curled. She also had dark make- up around her eyes, making them stand out.

Things moved quickly then, Valkyrie said her goodbyes and they all wished her luck, Skulduggery held her the longest. Saltar, who had been getting the machine ready while she was out, told her to stand in the center.

She took a deep breath and did has he said. The machine started to vibrate and shake then after a flash of light that had Valkyrie closing her eyes, the shaking stopped. When she opened them she was in a forest.

It had undoubtedly rained recently, the ground was wet and it smelled earthy.

"Hello child." Said a voice from behind her. Valkyrie whirled around loading her bow with an arrow and pointing at the strange woman who had just spoke. She looked middle age and had a boxer's build. Her facial features looked familiar though.

Valkyrie gasped. "Your Ghastly's mother."

She nodded. "Indeed I am Valkyrie, and I've been waiting for you all morning."

* * *

**CLIFFHANGER! I know, I'm cruel!**

**Hope you liked it, more to come soon, please R&R!**


	7. Rita

**Hello to all. Well I told my dad about my account on FanFiction, he loved it, but he commented on the fact my name is unisex. And now I'm worried about if you think I'm a girl or a boy, I assumed you would all know my gender. I would like to make it clear, THAT I AM A GIRL! A very attractive girl, if i do say so myself! **

**Enjoy! Forgive the spelling mistakes, my dads computer doesn't have word. ;-)**

* * *

**_(Valkyrie's flashback)_**

_Valkyrie was sitting on the table in ghastly's workshop. Since he had moved to the santury and sold his shop he had one room dedicated to his cloths. Valkyrie had grown out of her boots and Ghastly was making her some new ones._

_As he usally does, he was telling her a story._

_"And then my mother hit him round the head with a pan." He finished._

_Valkyrie laughed. "Your poor dad!"_

_"it took him weeks to recover."_

_"You don't talk about her often." Valkyrie said softly._

_"Because it still hurts." He replied._

_Valkyire frowned. "Even after all this time?"_

_"No, the fact that she died, that doesn't hurt anymore. It's…how he died."_

_"Lord Vile."_

_"Not that. When I say she went up agansed Lord Vile alone, I mean alone. She bleed to death in the middle of a field on her own, there was nobody there to hold her, wipe tears from her ckeecks and tell her everything was going to be OK."_

_His eyes were s__uspiciously _bright.

_"I'm sorry."_

"My name is Rita. You look beautiful val, a little different than in my dreams though."

"You know who I am." Getting over her flashback and lowering her bow and arrow.

"Of course."

"Do you know why I'm here?"

"Yes."

"I need to find Katharine."

"No." Rita replied.

"No?"

"You need to find Skulduggery."

"I do?"

"You do."

"Ok then!"

"But that will have to wait I'm a fraid."

"Why?"

"Because some of Molvents men are running trough this forrest right now, so you need to run, in that direction." She pointed left. "Very fast."

"Are you going to be ok?"

"Don't worry you'll see me again. Quickly now they are gaining fast."

Valkyrie ran, and ran, slipping on wet soil and branches wipping past her. She listened for sounds of pursuit and frowned when she couldn't hear any. It was odd, Rita had said they were catching up fast, shouldn't they be close to her now?

Valkyrie broke past the tree line and stopped. She looked back and frowned, there was no one after her, so why did Rita sent her running.

She turned round just in time to see a fist heading towards her face. She gasped and ducked just in time. She lashed out and sruck her attackers knee, he grunted in pain.

Valkyrie grapped his arm when he tried to hit her again and caught sight of something shiny inside his jacket. A gun. A revolver.

Valkyrie let go of his arm and backed away. "You're S-"she stared but was cut off when Skulduggery's foot slammed into the side of her head. She was knocked off her feet.

Valkyrie's head was spinning and she was fading fast. Just before she passed out she heard Rita's voice. "Stop…she's..Our…side."

And everything went black.

* * *

**I Know! It's sooooo Good.**


	8. There Is Always A Bad Guy!

**hello to all! again, please forgive the spelling mistakes i still don't have spellcheack at the moment. :-)**

**thank you to all the people who have reviewed my work and put up with me when i was having a thick moment, you know who you are!**

* * *

Tanith looked away from the screen as Valkyrie lost conciousness.

"YOU JUST KICKED VALKYRIE IN THE HEAD!" She roared at him.

Skulduggery hung his head. "I'm in a lot of trouble when she gets back, arn't I?"

"Ya think!" Tanith said sarcastically.

Skulduggery's phone went off. "Exsuse me." He said and walked off.

Tanith looked at Ghastly. "You OK?" she asked him softly.

Ghastly looked at her. "Why do you ask?"

"You just saw your mum again, how do you feel?"

Ghastly smiled and opened his arm to her, she also smiled and hugged him. "I'm Ok, I have you."

Skulduggery came back in. "We have a probblem."

"What is it?"

"Somehow it got out that we have a plan to stop the portal opening, so a certain bad person is now trying to stop us, how they plan to do that I have no idea."

"Who is trying to stop us?" Tanith asked.

"Her name is Morgan Sulfur, low level elemental but cunning and ruthless, I've met her once and she's really beautiful too."

An alarm went off above their heads and Saltar came running up to them. "Inturders...In the...Building" He weezed at them.

"Which way will they be coming from?" demanded Skulduggery. He got out his gun and Tanith her sowrd a sudden heat informed him that Ghastly had flames in his hands.

Saltars eyes widened. "Behind you!"

They all turned round to see 10 Hollow men standing behind them. "Saltar you are to protect the Machine, understand?"

"Yes." came his shaky voice.

"Good." Skulduggery said and fired six bulletes into six Hollow mens heads. Air whossed out and delfated.

Ghastly threw fire and Tanith shredded them with a few moves of her sorwed.

"Well that was easy." Ghastly commented. "Too easy."

"Valkyrie's waking up." Tanith said to them catching sight of the screen.


	9. Helen & Katharine

Valkyrie woke up with a headache but it was immediately forgotten when she realised that she didn't know where she was.

She was in a small bedroom painted gold and silver with old fashioned furniture. Valkyrie was lying under the covers of a double bed. She looked to her left to see a picture. It was of a man holding his wife and his wife was holding a tiny baby in her arms. Valkyrie smiled, she was in Skulduggery's home. Skulduggery in the picture had blonde/brown slightly curly hair that reached his shoulders and brown eyes that shone with intelligence.

Valkyrie got up and walked over to the door and opened it quietly. The door led to a living room where the woman from the photo was sitting in a rocking chair and holding a baby. This must be Helen and Katharine, Valkyrie mused.

Valkyrie wasn't quite sure what to do, I mean what do you do when you're about to meet your mentors dead family.

"Um..." Valkyrie coughed quietly.

Helen jumped and turned towards her with a smile. "You're awake. I was starting to get worried, my husband hit you quite hard. You must understand that he though you were the emine he would never-"

"It's OK, I don't blame him. I'm Valkyrie."

The baby squeaked and giggled. And Valkyrie turned her gaze to the bundle.

"I'm Helen and this little Madame is Katharine, she going to be just like her Daddy when she grows up!"

Valkyrie smiled at the excitement in her voice but her grin quickly faded as she realised she would never see her daughter grow up.

"Why are you sad?"

Valkyrie looked at her in shock.

"Sorry!" she said looking embarrassed. "It's part of my magic, sensing peoples emotions."

Valkyrie couldn't answer her question, it would take to long so she sidestepped the question and focused on something that had caught her attention. "Is feeling people's emotions part of your hourglass powers?" Valkyrie froze, she hadn't meant to mention the hourglass.

"How...How did you know about that, I only ever told Skulduggery!"

"Umm..." Valkyrie panicked.

Helen stood up and placed Katharine in her crib, and then she turned to Valkyrie with a stern look. "Don't you dare lie to me young lady... I can sense that something about you is different, tell me!" Helen was in Mum mode now.

She considered. It would be a lot easier to tell her everything, less to lie about, and if Helen thought she was dangerous she could easily be kicked out of the house and then it would be nearly impossible to save Katharine.

So that's what Valkyrie did. She told her everything. She started at the beginning and stopped at the end.

"So, Serpine sends China Sorrows and Murder Rose to take Katharine and I to get my husband into a trap?" Helen clarified.

"Yes."

"But your Skulduggery's partner, so serpine doesn't kill him?"

Valkyrie hesitated. "Serpine tortures him for a few days but...the Dead Men come and save him."

Helen rested a hand on her chest and breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank God, and you're here to save Katharine?"

"Yes, it shouldn't be too hard. Skulduggery gave me instructions on how to spell a mirror, let me find it." Valkyrie pulled out the piece of paper from her pocket and looked at it. There was the symbol she needed to write and the words she needed to say.

"So I die." Helen said resuming the conversation.

"Yes."

"But Skulduggery and Katharine live."

"They do."

She nodded. "So you need Katharine to close the portal, do you know to do that?"

"Yes, Skulduggery can tell her when he sees her again. I need you to do something. Go to Saltar and tell him that one day a girl with brown hair and a bow and arrow is going to walk into his office and needs to use the time machine, tell him to offer her a coffee."

"Now?"

"Now."

"Can you look after Katharine for a little while please?"

"Um, sure."

"Good." Helen looked at her for a moment, studying her hair and eyes. "Can I tell you a story before I leave? It won't make sense to you yet but it will soon."

"OK." Valkyrie didn't understand where this was going.

"I used to have a mortal friend called Lily, she had a son called Robert. Robert was three when he was kidnapped. 15 years later Lily was walking down the street when she saw an 18 year old boy walking towards her. And she just knew. She knew it was him."

"I don't understand why you're telling me this."

"I just want you to understand that a mother will always recognize her child." Helen had tears in her eyes as she put her coat on and walked out the door.

Valkyrie walked over to the crib and smiled down at the baby. She picked Katharine up and cuddled her.

"Hello there, you're very cute, not as cute as my sister of course but no one is."

Katharine had brown eyes and silky, light brown hair.

Valkyrie smiled sadly. "I never thought I'd meet my replacement, I always thought I'd be long dead, ya know. But oh well, if I'm going to be replaced by someone, I'm glad it's you kiddo."


	10. Who's Your Daughter?

"Stupid girl." Skulduggery muttered looking at the screen as Valkyrie started rocking Katharine.

Tanith looked at him. "You don't think she has a point?"

"Of course not, Katharine is my daughter but Valkyrie is my partner and she always will be."

Ghastly looked up at them. Up until a few seconds ago he had been taking the dead Hollow men skins outside to the bins. "Yes," He said joining in with the conversation. "And there is the distinct possibility that she was raised in a mortal family, she won't know about magic. Will you teach her?"

"I already have a student, I'm not looking for another. But you're also forgetting that she will be 18." Said Skulduggery.

Both Tanith and Ghastly looked at him, not understanding.

Skulduggery shifted his weight from foot to foot. "18 year olds don't need their dads anymore."

"I need my dad." Tanith told him.

"Not the same way as you used to. He doesn't need to make you breakfast in the mornings, tell you bed time stories and sing you to sleep."

Tanith raised an eyebrow. "So basically everything you do for Valkyrie then?"

Skulduggery tilted his head has he considered her words. He had often felt that Valkyrie had a certain place in his heart, but did he consider her a daugter...?

" Can we change the subject now please?" He eventually said.

There was a pause for a moment as they all thought of something else to talk about.

"What did Helen mean when she was telling Valkyrie that story and that a mother will always recognize their child?" It was Tanith that offered the much needed change of topic.

Skulduggery shrugged. "Maybe something to do with Katharine and her reflection."

"Oh."

"What's the situation on Morgan?" Tanith asked him, since she found out Ghastly had been made an elder she had been feeling a little out of the loop. Everyone told Skulduggery and Ghastly everything.

"The last time the portal opened was about 500 years ago, the place where it opened is now a warehouse. Ravel sent some sanctuary operatives over there, they reported that they had seen Sulfur and a small Hollow man army entering the building."

"So if we want Katharine to get anywhere near the portal we have to fight our way there." Ghastly said.

"Bring it on." Said Tanith smiling in anticipation .

"How long till the portal opens?" He asked Skulduggery.

"For us about 6 hours."

"Can you explain how Valkyrie will get back?"

They heard the sounds of footsteps and looked round to see Saltar coming round the corner. "Valkyrie can jump to any time she wants, all she has to do is think about the time zone and she will jump there." Saltar explained. "When she gets back to her own time the magic from the machine will leave her. And before you ask, yes I did tell her all this before she went."

Tanith looked at Ghastly and Skulduggery. "You two were there. what happens to Val next?"

Ghastly shook his head. "No idea. But I know my mother will have something to do with it, she never could help looking into my futrue."

* * *

**Sorry for the wait. Exams and stuff! Enjoy!**


	11. Reflect

Thanks for reading, please review!

Morgan Sulfur xXx 3

* * *

Katharine was just starting to nod off when there was a knock at the door.

Valkyrie immediately tensed up. She quietly put Katharine, who was now wide awake, in her crib. There came a louder more insistent knock at the door.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Valkyrie loaded her bow with an arrow. She looked down at Katharine, who was watching her intently with big brown eyes.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Valkyrie pulled the arrow back and pointed it at the door before moving stealthy towards it.

Before she could get to the door it swung open and Rita stood in the door way. "Don't you know it's rude to not open a door to an old woman?"

Valkyrie sighed in relief and lowered her bow. "One, you're not old. Two, I don't take too kindly to people who set me up to get kicked in the head!"

Rita nodded. "I see you're still angry about that. But think about it Val, you needed to get close to Katharine and Helen I just offered you the perfect opportunity."

"Fine, I see your point. I'm still angry that Skulduggery kicked me in the head though."

Rita smiled. "I'm sure you'll pay him back when you get home."

"Why are you here?"

"Well for starters I want the here all about my little boy…"

Valkyrie tried to stop herself from laughing, she really and truly did but the laughter bubbled out of her till she had tears running down her face. She had never, _never_ heard Ghastly referred to as a little boy.

"He…is fine…he's now…an Elder!" Valkyrie said trying to get her breathing under control.

Rita nodded. "I always thought he'd be a good leader. Now, I'm also here to help you with the reflection spell, come on."

Valkyrie picked up Katharine and followed Rita into the main bedroom to see her looking in the wardrobe to find a mirror. "Here we go." She opened the door and showed Valkyrie the mirror stuck to the side. Valkyrie gently handed the squirming bundle into Rita's arms.

It took Valkyrie a couple of tries to complete the spell but she counted herself lucky, it could have taken a lot longer if it weren't for Rita's help.

Soon both Rita and Valkyrie were standing with identical babies in their arms.

"Oh! I see you got the reflection spell up and running."

Valkyrie turned to see Helen standing in the door way with a gentle smile on her face. She walked over to Rita and took Katharine from her. "It's good to see you again Rita it's been too long."

Valkyrie put the reflection back into the mirror and directed Katharine's hands to the mirror.

Valkyrie heard a noise outside. "Shhhhh, I heard something."

Valkyrie strolled into the living room and made a small cap in the curtain to peak outside. Her heart stopped when she saw who was standing outside with a curl smile on her beautiful lips.

Chins Sorrows.

Helen and Rita joined her at the window. Helen sucked in a strangled breath. "You said China was the one to take me to Serpine, it's time, quickly get Katharine-! "

"No." Valkyrie interrupted her. "Murder Rose should be with her, which means it's not time yet. This means…"

"This means what?"

Valkyrie smiled. "I get to kick her butt." Valkyrie took hold of her bow.

"Wait Val." Helen said, grabbing hold of her arm. "You can't kill her, you can't change the events that are meant to happen. You can't!"

"It's OK. I've seen her heal a bullet wound before; an arrow in the stomach will be fine."

And with that Valkyrie left the house to face her former friend.

* * *

_Ghastly looked at Skulduggery with a raised eyebrow. "You're going to enjoy watching this aren't you?"_

_Skulduggery looked at him. "Of course I am."_


	12. The Epic Fight Of Val And China

**I'd like to thank Summer Rosewood for wishing me luck on my exams, Thank you!**

**Morgan Sulfur xXx**

* * *

China was dressed in black trousers and a black jacket with a light blue shirt underneath. Her hair was expertly curled and clipped back, she looked beautiful.

Valkyrie swallowed, she had always wanted to smack china around a little for what she did to Skulduggery and his family but she never thought she'd actually do it.

"China." Valkyrie said trying keep the emotion from her voice.

China tilted her head to the side as she considered the young woman before her. "I must admit that it's rare that I meet someone of whom I don't know, nor heard of before."

"I'm new."

"You're dead."

Valkyrie controlled her expression to a mask of indifference. It was hard to see China this way, hateful and merciless.

"I have to disagree." Val said, pulling the bow taunt and aiming it at her.

"A shame." China sent waves of red light shooting towards her.

Valkyrie ducked but wasn't fast enough to doge all of them, one hit her in the face. Knocking her to the ground and the bow dropped from her hands, with blood covering her face from a gash on her forehead, she rolled just before china's foot connected with her head. Valkyrie sent a wave of shadows at the evil beauty and sent her stumbling backwards, in those crucial few seconds Val scrambled to get to her bow. She was just about to pick it up when someone from behind grab her hair and pulled her back, tears sprang to Valkyrie's eyes at the pain. She sent an elbow into Chin's gut and she let go. Valkyrie grabbed her bow and aimed the arrow at her. And let go.

China gasped her face going pale. She looked down at the arrow in her stomach, she slowly pulled it out and press the symbols on her jaw.

"Leave, Now!" Valkyrie yelled at her, praying that she would.

Strangely she smiled and looked at something over Valkyrie's shoulder. "Fine. Doesn't matter anyway, back-ups here." With that China fled with her hand pressed against her stomach.

Valkyrie wiped blood from her eyes and then turned to see a man standing behind her. He smiled and punched her in the jaw, she stumbled back feeling the blood collect in her mouth. She smiled and spat the blood in his face. A furious look crossed his ugly face as he kicked her in the stomach hard enough to knock her to the ground. The man standing above her raised a gun and pointed it at her.

There was a loud gunshot and she looked down at herself, expecting to see blood pouring from some part of her body.

But…Nothing.

She looked at the man. He however had blood running from his stomach. Soon, he fell to the floor dead.

Valkyrie looked behind her to see a man standing there with his revolver in his hand.

Skulduggery Pleasant.


	13. The beginning of the end!

**Right, I'm off to A&E because I just fell off a trampoline at school, so just think, i'm writing this in complete agony, I know I'm dedicated! **

**Morgan Sulfur xXx**

* * *

Skulduggery looked at the young woman on the floor and slowly walked over to her.

"I'm not quite sure what to say in these circumstances."

"You could offer to help me up." Valkyrie replied.

"I suppose I could."

"And will you?"

"Of course." He said as he stuck out his hand towards Valkyrie. She smiled and allowed herself to be pulled up.

"You kicked me in the head." Valkyrie stated.

"I might have done yes."

"Might have?"

"I did yes, to which I am sorry."

"I'll get you back at some point in the future, what are we going to do about him?" Valkyrie said pointing towards the dead body.

"I'll call some cleavers to come and collect this nice man here. I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself, I'm the dashing, magnificent and extremely important, handsome-"

"Skulduggery!" Valkyrie interrupted.

He tilted his head. "You've heard of me." He said in delight. "And you are?"

"Ummm…. You can call me V."

"Vee?"

"Like the letter."

"OK then, any particular reason you won't tell me your real name?"

"Because I'm a mysterious person."

"Right."

"I am."

"Sure you are."

"Shut up."

"Helen and Katharine are inside yes?"

"Yep."

Skulduggery lead the way inside and immediately a look of relief crossed Helen's face at the sight of her husband. Katharine started to make a fuss at the sight of her daddy, to which Skulduggery melted and immediately cradled her in his arms and said soft nothings to her . Valkyrie stared at him in shock, that tiny baby had her mentor wrapped around her little finger.

"I trust we are safe?" asked Rita.

"We took care of it." Valkyrie told her.

"Good, then I best be getting home, I'll see you soon." She said to Valkyrie.

"Bye."

"Thank you for looking after my family, for protecting them." Skulduggery said to her, his dark brown eyes shining with gratitude.

"That's OK."

"How long are you staying for this time?" Helen whispered to him.

Skulduggery seemed to sag a little at her question. "About an hour, I only stopped by to see you both and collect a few belongings I need for the mission."

Helen sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Please don't go."

"I have to."

Valkyrie felt like an intruder in the very private conversation. But she couldn't bring herself to walk away; it was so…so...so _odd_ to see Skulduggery interact this way with people.

"I'll be back in a minute; I just need to back a pack a bag." He carefully gave his daughter to his wife then strolled to the bedroom.

Helen's eyes shone with tears.

"He'll be fine." Valkyrie said trying to comfort her.

Helen nodded. "I know, I just worry. I just wish that…go with him!" she said suddenly.

"What!"

"Please go with him. Keep him safe."

"I can't go I have to keep Katharine safe and there's no way he's going to let me tag along."

"So don't tell him, follow him and if anything happens then you intervene. Katharine and I will be fine for one night, we'll see you tomorrow and you can look after her."

"…OK, but be on the lookout."

"OK."

A few minutes later Skulduggery emerged from the bedroom and said goodbye to Valkyrie. He then turned to Helen and gave her a lingering kiss that was soft and filled with love. He smiled and kissed Katharine's head before he left.

A few minutes later Valkyrie followed.

* * *

"NO!" Skulduggery roared at the screen. "NO DON'T LEAVE THEM VALKYRIE! TURN BACK!" He grabbed a mug and threw it across the room where it smashed against the far wall.

"No." he whispered devastated.

* * *

**I almost cried writing this!**


	14. Oh Bugger!

**Hello all. for those of you who asked, my shoulder muscles are all ripped & pulled and my ribs are fractured! I'm never doing a front sumi again, that's for sure! Thanks for asking! ;-)**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

.Skulduggery hadn't needed her. But then again Valkyrie didn't he think would. Skulduggery and the dead men had gone to an abandoned building where spies had told them Serpine was hiding. It was a false lead.

Skulduggery had gone to talk to the spy about his wrong information. Valkyrie, however was walking quickly back to the little home at the bottom of a hill. It was early morning, the sun only just starting to make it's appearance over the trees.

Valkyrie broke the tree line and saw the small house in the distance and smiled. But the closer she got to it the more she knew something terrible had happened.

She stopped dead.

The front door was off its hinges.

The windows smashed.

"No!" Valkyrie shouted and ran to the house.

Her eyes filled with tears has she stepped over parts of broken furniture and other family treasures that were shattered and thrown on the floor.

"No, no no no, please, please no!" she cried, running a hand through her hair. Valkyrie knew that going home without delivering Katharine to a safe family wasn't an option. Valkyrie started looking round for clues as to where China and Murder Rose might have taken them. She didn't see it at first but after three scans of the room Valkyrie saw a small piece of paper tapped to the upturned coffee table, it read:

_Come and get them._

_N. Serpine_

Valkyrie's head hung in defeat, how was she going to rescue Katharine from Serpine?

Then the sweetest sound she had ever heard reached her ears. A baby crying. Katharine.

Valkyrie ran to where that crying was comeing from and opened the wardrobe to find Skulduggery's daughter wrapped up in a blanket in a basket. Sobs rose in Valkyrie's chest as she picked her up and cradled her close. Katharine calmed down after a while but Valkyrie was fine with holding her until both their crying had stopped.

"Valkyrie." A soft voice said from behind her.

She turned to see Rita standing in the door way.

And Valkyrie wanted to cry again. "It's my fault."

"No." Rita shook her head. "It isn't"

Valkyrie shook her head. "Helen must have seen them coming and instead of going for a weapon she ran in here and swapped Katharine for the reflection."

"Helen will die knowing her daughter is going to live. She will die peaceful at mind."

Valkyrie nodded and gently started rocking Katharine side to side.

"So is this it? You're going home now, you have the child."

Valkyrie looked Ghastly's mother for a moment. "No not yet, there's still one more thing I need to do before I go home."

* * *

A few months later…

Lord Vile sent shadows at her and Rita dodged to the left and kicked his knee, but to no effect. Rita rolled away as his foot came down near her with great strength.

Vile sent another wave of shadows.

Rita grabbed her dagger and threw it at him but with a simple flick of his wrist it was broken in half. Vile raised his hand like he was about to send more shadows but stopped and tilted his head to the side. His hand fell to his side and in a burst of shadows, Vile shadow walked.

Rita stared in shock, the coward, how dare he leave in the middle of a fight.

She frowned as she felt wetness on the front of her shirt and looked down to see blood running down her stomach. She gasped, strength quickly leaving her.

She slumped to her knees but before her back could hit the ground soft arms cradled her.

"It's Ok, I've got you." Valkyrie whispered. "You're not alone."

Rita smiled slightly.

"It's Ok, You're going to be OK, I've got you." Valkyrie said as she gently wiped tears from Rita's cheeks.

Rita's face held peace as she took her final breaths.

* * *

"She wasn't alone." Ghastly smiled, also at peace.

* * *

**Wow, I need a tissue, anyone else?**


	15. THE Bombshell!

No sooner had Valkyrie closed her eyes and thought of 1996, she felt a rush of heat and when she opened her eyes she was in a quiet street.

It look to be in the middle Winter and Valkyrie looked down and made sure Katharine was wrapped up warm in her basket.

Valkyrie smiled, this was a quiet town and judging by the accents of the old couple walking down the opposite side of the road they were still in Ireland.

Valkyrie started walking down the path, looking at all the houses. She came to a house with an old couple sitting in the living that she could see through the window. Valkyrie moved on, no way would she give a 3 month old baby to people who should be enjoying their retirement.

The next home was perfect. The home was clean, with small baskets of purple flowers hanging over the light blue door. The garden was neatly cut and there were flowers everywhere witch reminded Valkyrie of all the times her mum spent her afternoons in the backyard.

Valkyrie looked down at Katharine. "This is going to be your home, Katharine. And in 18 years when your hourglass powers come into action you're going to help us close the portal before the Leera come through. And then you're going to be Skulduggery's new partner, part of me wants to hate you for that but I can't bring myself to. You're going to make Skulduggery so happy.

Valkyrie walked up the snow free drive way up to the front door. She placed Katharine down on the door step. Katharine started to cry. "Shhhhh, it's OK, it's OK. I'll see you very soon Katharine."

Valkyrie didn't ring the door bell, Katharine's crying would draw the owner's of the house soon enough. Valkyrie walked down the road, and then stopped. She needed to know whether she's safe. There was a large tree a couple more houses down the street which Valkyrie hid behind. She watched Katharine kick up a fuss and knew that at any moment someone would find her.

The door opened and Valkyrie's world crashed down around her.

It was impossible!

No, it couldn't be.

They would have told her!

"Desmond!" Melissa Edgley yelled as she opened to door to see a tiny baby on her door step.

"No…" Valkyrie whispered in devastated and disbelief.

Valkyrie's father appeared over Melissa's shoulder after she picked up Katharine up and cuddled her close.

"What the…"

"She beautiful." Valkyrie could just about hear her mother say. She was looking down at the baby, her face lit up in awe.

"She's someone's child, love." But Valkyrie could already see the adoration starting to appear in Desmond's eyes.

"But…"

"I'll go call the guards."

"No, they'll want to take her away." Melissa said clutching the baby closer to her chest, mother's instinct already setting in.

"We'll see about keeping her, but we should try and find the mother…"

"Stephanie." Melissa blurted.

"What?" Her husband asked her.

"Her name is Stephanie."

"No, no, no, no, no!" Valkyrie sank to her knees and tears filled her eyes as she watch her parents go back inside.

She shut her eyes and thought of the place and time she wanted to go to.

There was someone she wanted a word with.

* * *

"Not possible." Whispered Skulduggery.

Ghastly nodded. "Yes, Skulduggery. The evidence is right in front of you."

Tanith had tears running down her face. "Isn't this a good thing? It means that the Hourglass already knows about magic and can use it."

Skulduggery remained silent.

"You aren't happy that Valkyrie is your daughter?" She said angrily.

Still he didn't reply.

A small cough sounded behind them. "Valkyrie has returned to this time, and my work is done." Saltar said.

"Did you know?" Ghastly asked him.

"That Valkyrie is Skulduggery's daughter? Yes I did."

"Then why didn't you tell us, I could have saved us a lot of time."

"Would you have believed me if I told you?"

"No, can't say I would have."

"Exactly, now your portal opens in an hour, you best be moving."

"We need Valkyrie." Said Tanith.

"She'll meet us there, she knows where to go. Thank you Mr. Saltar, the Irish sanctuary is in your debt" Ghastly said grabbing his coat.

They moved toward the door, and looked back to see that Skulduggery hadn't moved.

"Skulduggery! We need to go!"

He nodded his head slightly and left with them.

* * *

**Take that Valduggery fans!(Joke, please don't kill me!)**

**Morgan Sulfur xXx**


	16. His Words

Valkyrie looked round the familiar living room. Echo Gordon was standing in the corner creating his new book, this time he was basing it on an adventure that Valkyrie and Skulduggery had done.

He looked up at her startled at her sudden appearance. "Valkyrie?" He saw her tear drenched face. "What's wrong, are you hurt, or is it your family?"

"Did you know?" Valkyrie said quietly.

"Know what?"

"I was found on their door step, I was adopted! I'm Skulduggery's daughter!" She yelled at him, letting her frustration out.

"Done a bit of time travelling have we?"

"So you did know!" she said feeling betrayed that her favorite uncle hadn't told her something that important.

"Of course."

"And Skulduggery?"

"He didn't know before but I'm sure he does now."

"What?"

Gordon shook his head. "Did you really think that he would let you go into a war without watching you, of course he wouldn't!"

"But… I don't understand, I'm a descendent of the last Ancient."

"As was Helen, I did a lot of research on the Hourglass because I planned on making a book about it but when I found out she was Skulduggery's wife…well I thought it'd seem a little insensitive."

"But my granddad told you stories on how you were descendents of the Ancients."

"You and Skulduggery once fought against 3 goblins who believed that they were descendents of the Ancient ones. They had told the lie over and over again the started to believe it. I think that's what happened with our family as well, you know what we're like with our egos. I want you to know that I figured out you were Skulduggerys daughter after he told me that the scepter didn't alert your presence to Serpine, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Valkyrie shook her head and sat down on one of the sofas. This was all too much and she hated the weakness she showed as new tears fell from her eyes. Gordon walked over to her and raised his hand, looking as though he wanted to wipe away her tears.

"Skulduggery is Valkyrie's farther."

Valkyrie looked at him in shock. "No, Melissa and Desmond are my parents!"

He smiled. "I said Valkyrie, not Stephanie."

Valkyrie looked at him confused.

"Everything that Valkyrie Cain has become, is because of Skulduggery. All her morals, her beliefs and her sense justice. He helped you choose your name, he has taught you skills you need in order to survive out there. He has protected you, saved you, treated you when you did get hurt and provided for you. All that you are is because of him. Skulduggery raised _Valkyrie Cain_ not Stephanie Edgley. "

Valkyrie smiled and nodded, wiping the last of her tears on her sleeve. She stood up. "Your right, thank you."

"Now, you've had your allotted wisdom from me today. I believe you have a portal to close."

* * *

**Ok guys, it's time for Valkyrie to kick Morgan Sulfur's butt! **


	17. Mouse Trap

**This chapter is for tamani7 because you were my 100th review! TANK YOU!**

* * *

Skulduggery, Ghastly, Tanith and 10 cleavers slowly entered the warehouse. They were all worried about the fact that there were no Hollow men outside the door, and where was Valkyrie? It is her blood they need. But Skulduggery was confident she would arrive in the nick of time, she was _his_ daughter after all.

The room was large, dusty and very, very quiet. The 13 of them slowly crept forward.

"Oh God." Tanith breathed.

The portal was starting to opening. In the middle of the warehouse there was a small purple/blue glowing ball and every so often a streak of blue lightning was shoot out of it.

"Set up a perimeter around-" Skulduggery started giving orders. But symbols dotted around the room suddenly lit up and then just as quickly dimmed suddenly dimmed. The cleavers were instantly on alert and Ghastly moved closer to Tanith. Skulduggery tilted his head and slowly stretched out his hand, it came in contact with a blue, glowing wall that disappeared when he took his hand away.

"A shield." Skulduggery told his companions.

"Clever, isn't it?" Morgan Sulfur said as she stepped out from a side door. She had long blonde/brown hair, fair skin and dark brown eyes that were almost black. She wore a evil smile on her lips.

"Sulfur." Skulduggery acknowledged.

"Skulduggery."

"You told me you were a elemental."

Sulfur shrugged. "I lied."

"That was a mean thing to do."

"It's what the smart do to the stupid."

Skulduggery tilted his head. "I'm pretty sure I'm smarter than you."

"Are not, how many chess games did we play, and how many of those did I win?"

"That's…That's besides the point!"

"Guys!" Ghastly yelled at them.

"You're right Ghastly, we can't distract Sulfur."

"What?" Tanith asked him.

"Well, the amount of energy its taking Sulfur to keep the shield up is quite a lot, one big distraction would break the shield. Isn't that right?"

"You are correct." She said looking uncomfortable.

An arrow shot through the warehouse and hit one of the Hollow men witch deflated rapidly.

"So" Said a voice from the shadows. "I better not distract you them." Valkyrie said emerging from her hiding place with another arrow already notched in place, aimed at Sulfur's head.

* * *

**This was only meant to be a paragraph long...oh well!**

**Stay tuned for more awesomeness!**


	18. The Fight Of The Hourglass

**I'm so sorry for the wait! I hope you think the chapter was worth it!**

**Enjoy! Morgan Sulfur xxx**

* * *

"Valkyrie." Smiled Sulfur. "I was wondering when you were going to show up. I take it that because you're on your own that you failed."

"Failed?" Valkyrie questioned her.

"To save Skulduggery's long, lost, _dead _daughter."

"She's not dead."

"Oh?"

"She's been alive and kicking for the past 18 years. And become quite the mage, if I do say so myself."

Morgan smiled confidently but it was filled with unease. "And who is Skulduggery's daughter?"

Valkyrie took a breath and looked at her mentor. "Me."

Morgan's smile faded to be replaced fear and anger; she looked at the portal which had slowly started to open. "Kill her! But don't spill a single drop of her blood, she's the Hourglass". Morgan yelled to the surrounding Hollow men.

Valkyrie reamed her arrow and shot at one Hollow man after another, but has one was taken out another two took its place. Valkyrie's arms were starting to get tired, she had never shot so many arrows in one go before.

A Hollow man got to close and she used the hand that wasn't holding her bow to rake her finger nails across his face. While effective, the other Hollow men had used her distraction to close themselves in on her. Valkyrie struggled to keep them far enough away.

"Stop!" Morgan's voice called out and immediately all Hollow men backed away.

"Well you truly are the skeleton's daughter…Are you proud of her or disappointed Skulduggery?" Morgan asked as she walked closer to Valkyrie.

Both women looked to see Skulduggery still trapped behind the shield.

"Valkyrie has never done anything to disappoint me, and she never will. Unless you count the time she dated that vampire…" Skulduggery answered.

"Skulduggery!" Valkyrie yelled.

Sulfur's fist came out of nowhere and her head was slammed back, blood gushed from Valkyrie's nose. Her brain was still spinning so she almost didn't feel the kick to her stomach but her body responded to it. She doubled over and coughed, the breath knocked out of her.

"Valkyrie!" Skulduggery was shouting and banging on the shield, as were Tanith and Ghastly.

Valkyrie blindly threw a punch which connected with Sulfur's jaw, and her eyes narrowed.

Sulfur threw another punch to the head, one which would have knocked her out had Valkyrie not tried to dodge it. Instead she was knocked off her feet.

"So pathetic." Sulfur sneered standing over her.

"Get away from her or I'll hunt you down Morgan Sulfur!" Skulduggery yelled.

Sulfur laughed, she leaned down and stroked Valkyrie's face. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill her, I'm going to make her watch as the portal opens and the Leera come through."

Sulfur turned away, then stopped and turned back. "On second thoughts…"

Sulfur's foot stomped down had on Valkyrie's awkwardly placed leg. Valkyrie and Skulduggery screamed as the bone broke beneath Sulfur's boot.

Sulfur moved towards the portal, which was almost fully opened now.

Valkyrie was in so much pain it was hard to think but she knew she had to stop this somehow. It would be impossible for her to get up and go to the portal, no way the throw her blood in, she was too far away. A sharp pain made her head turn fuzzy and she knew that she was going to lose consciousness soon.

_Think…come on think…_

Valkyrie's eyes widened as a idea filled her mind. Valkyrie reached for her bow and had to stop herself from crying out as the movement jarred her leg. She brought the last arrow from her quiver and placed the arrow head in the palm of her hand. She closed her hand and took a deep breath, and then she quickly ripped the arrow away. She grimaced at the sting then coated the arrow head with the blood pooling in the palm. Then loaded the bloody arrow and aimed.

But sulfur stood in the way of the fully opened portal.

"Hey Sulfur!" Her voice was meant to come out strong sounding but came out weak. She didn't have long left, she was fading fast.

Sulfur turned around slightly and Valkyrie got a better view.

She let go.

The arrow flew through the air and straight into the portal.

"NO NO NO!" Sulfur screamed.

She headed in Valkyrie's direction with a knife held high. Valkyrie reached for another arrow only to remember that she had none left.

Suddenly a shoot rang out and Sulfur stopped in her tracts. She looked down and saw the blood running from her chest. Morgan Sulfur fell to the ground, dead.

In her anger over the portal starting to close her concentration was broken, allowing skulduggery and the other to be free. Skulduggery had shoot Sulfur.

The cleavers took care of the Hollow men, while Skulduggery knelt beside Valkyrie. Valkyrie's head was turning and black spots danced in front of her eyes. Skulduggery was talking to her but she couldn't hear him.

"Stay wake….need….you…ok….can't….lose…again."

With Skulduggery's back to the portal he had no idea what was happening. But Valkyrie could and the sight of a single male Leera climbing trough the portal before it shut was the last thing Valkyrie saw before sleep finally took her.

* * *

**As you might have guessed, yes there will be a second story!**

**Stay tuned for the last chapter.**


	19. The End

**Disclaimer: all characters belong to Mr. Derek Landy (But not the Morgan Sulfur character….because that would be weird.) I do not take credit for his brilliance.**

**Ok guys, this is it, the last chapter.**

**Morgan Sulfur xXx**

* * *

Valkyrie felt crisp sheets beneath her fingers as she came to. She slowly opened her eyes, then just as quickly shut them. Her eyes were really sensitive to the light and her head was spinning.

"Turn the lights down." A velvet voice ordered.

"You should really stop giving me orders since I save your partners life so often."

With the lights down Valkyrie was free to open her eyes. She saw Skulduggery sitting in a chair by her bedside and Doctor Nye was clearing away medical equipment.

Skulduggery didn't answer it, he swiveled his head in Valkyrie's direction. "How are you feeling?"

Valkyrie shook her head. "OK, I guess. How bad am I?"

"You have broken leg which is healing nicely, and a mild concussion." It was Nye who answered.

Valkyrie looked at it. "I asked Skulduggery, please leave."

Nye gave a warped version of a shrug and left.

Skulduggery and Valkyrie didn't speak for a couple of minutes.

"So…" Valkyrie started, but didn't know how to finish.

Skulduggery nodded. "I'm your father."

"Yep."

"And how do you feel about that?"

Valkyrie shrugged. "I was shocked and angry, but I spoke to my uncle and he showed me something that I had…overlooked. It's still going to take awhile to get used to it though. I mean, you're my partner, my teacher and my friend. And now you're my father?"

"This isn't a bad thing, not from where I'm sitting anyway. I never thought I'd see my daughter again and there is no-one, no-one that I'd rather have turn up as my daughter than you Val."

"It's still going to take a while to get used to, but I think we're going to be ok."

"That's good but…"

"But what?"

"Where does this leave us?"

Valkyrie shrugged again. "Back to normal I hope. Catching murderers and preventing the end of the world with mere seconds to spare."

"That's a relief because we already have a case."

"We do?"

"We do."

"Well, what is it?"

"A Leera came through the portal before it closed, it's up to us to find it."

Valkyrie nodded slowly, remembering. A sudden thought came to her and she gasped.

"Oh my God!"

"What, What?" Skulduggery said, sounding panicked.

"I just realized something." She answered him. "Lord Vile is my father."

Skulduggery relaxed and shrugged. "And Darquesse, destroyer of the world, is my daughter."

"Oh Yeah. I guess we know where my psychopathic tendencies came from then."

Valkyrie yawed.

"Get some sleep Val, Tanith and Ghastly will be here to see you soon and we have a Leera to find."

* * *

**Yes there is going to be a sequel, but not yet, I plan to write one short story before that, called 'The Darkness That Lives There', first chapter will be posted tomorrow. Stay tuned as Valkyrie resorts to drastic and dangerous measures to save Tanith from the Remnant.**

**Morgan Sulfur xXx**


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